Chapter Sixty-Two: The Third Faction

The rising sun cast a golden thread across the land outside Golden Tortoise City. One end of the thread lay at the city itself, the other stretched toward the distant hill where the Nether Sect resided.

In the very center of this line, a spring of golden water burst forth.

“It’s beginning!” Both the Daoist and Demonic cultivators sensed the change.

Multicolored mists rose from the Nether Sect stronghold, swelling and drifting until they blanketed the three hundred miles around. Those of the Daoist sect stood atop the city walls, gazing at the golden line emerging from the earth. Li Jingxun addressed her companions: “Legend has it that when Golden Tortoise City was founded, a golden turtle carried a pearl. Where the pearl fell is where the city now stands; its path began precisely at the hill now occupied by the Nether Sect.”

In other words, the golden line now appearing marks the route once walked by the Turtle Celestial, the very origin of Golden Tortoise City’s fortune.

Now the celestial turtle has departed, the city’s fate wavers. The gathered fortune condenses into an innate jade egg, the very crux of the first clash between Dao and Demonic sects.

Li Jingxun recalled what Ji Feichen, under the name “Clear Wave,” had once told her: “When the Turtle’s path emerges and the Golden Turtle departs, this mortal city will never know such prosperity again.”

“The Demonic sect has already set their killing formation—should we leave the city?” someone asked.

“Wait,” Qin Wu replied. The eye on his forehead split open once more, piercing the multicolored mist to reveal the demons concealed within.

At the center, eight core disciples of the sect master’s lineage wielded banners, maneuvering the Nine Yin Demon Formation. At each of the five corners, a chief disciple led their own group, driving the powers of Yellow Springs Sand, Phosphorescent Fire, White Bone Apparition, Heavenly Demon Wind, and Nether Moon.

Deadly attacks were hidden within the formation, and a band of six-armed Demon God Sectists lurked, eager to strike. The moment any Daoist left the city, the formation would be activated to slaughter them.

Qin Wu glanced at his many companions. Figures like Li Jingxun, whose virtue was profound, had already severed their karmic ties by ending three lives the previous day. “Sister Li, Brother Xiahou, Friend Sun, you three remain in the city to protect the common people. As for the rest, when I break open the formation with divine thunder, you shall enter and slay the demons.”

Li Jingxun’s lips moved, but in the end she said nothing. Besides herself and her two companions, who were free of calamity due to their deep cultivation, the others were still entangled in fate. The formation below continually wove demonic energy around the Daoists’ aura of transcendence.

At last, she handed her Virtue Jade Book to Zhou Yan’er. “Take this to protect yourself. Remember, do not act rashly or venture into the enemy’s lines seeking merit.”

“But if you give me your treasure, what about yourself?” Most of Li Jingxun’s strength came from the Virtue Jade Book; without its prepared incantations, she would expend several times her normal power to invoke the true words of virtue.

“Don’t worry. As long as I stay in the city, I am safer than you.” As long as she did not leave, she would not be drawn into the calamity.

“To my fellow disciples,” Li Jingxun addressed her sect members, “this junior’s cultivation is shallow. Please look after her.”

...

“Since ancient times, when purity and turbidity divide, every time a killing calamity arises, the earth’s turbid energy attracts the pure immortal aura, seeking to return to the essence of primordial qi.” As Li Jingxun made her arrangements for Zhou Yan’er, Ji Feichen stood at the edge of the formation, observing the flow of fate.

Within, the demonic mist soared skyward, clouds of gloom and sorrow. Threads of red light reached from the formation to the immortals on the city walls. If they retreated now, their future path to becoming immortals would be fraught with obstacles.

The demonic wind howled, the red light blazed like fire. Ji Feichen suddenly shuddered, a phrase coming unbidden to mind: “Great fortune lies to the south, the one-legged bird dances alone, wind and fire fill the sky, the water dragon must avoid it.”

Reflecting now, unease crept over him. “At first, I thought ‘the one-legged Bi Fang’ referred to the Bi family. But perhaps it points to this very calamity?”

A water dragon—what is it, truly? It might mean the Chiwen, but Ji Feichen practiced the Demon Dragon Scripture and was adept at water arts—was he not himself a water dragon?

The thought clarified his divination. Gazing at the baleful clouds, they seemed more and more like a one-legged flying bird.

His right eyelid twitched violently. “I’m about to achieve immortality—could this be my tribulation?”

Suddenly, thunder exploded in the sky—Qin Wu was taking action!

As lightning tore open the formation, a cloud of azure descended from above the city gate. Encased in protective immortal light, the Daoists plunged into the Nine Yin Demon Formation.

Jade swords spun round Zhou Yan’er as she scattered golden crystal sand into the array. The Heavenly Spinning Gold Crystal sand clashed with the Yellow Springs Sand; clouds of dust obscured the formation, leaving no sense of direction. Both sides fought by sensing the purity or corruption of each other’s aura.

“Use your spiritual senses! Anyone shrouded in demonic energy is an enemy!”

Though Zhou Yan’er was bewildered, the words steadied her. She swung her jade sword and slew a nearby demon.

Not far off, a flash of the Pure Sword Light sent three demon chiefs’ heads flying, their energy rising to the sky. Before the swordsman could react, Luo Qingyi incinerated him with blue ghostfire, claiming his soul for the Netherworld.

Zhou Yan’er saw Luo Qingyi and, enraged, shouted, “Witch, meet your end!” Ignoring warnings, she charged at Luo Qingyi but was quickly outmatched.

Ji Feichen, seeing that no one noticed, flicked his finger and sent an invisible force to knock Zhou Yan’er clear, depositing her among her own companions.

Luo Qingyi hesitated, unsure who had interfered, and decided to withdraw. “No matter, I’ve passed my tribulation. Better to retreat and seek immortality later.” Reluctant to linger, she slipped from the front lines.

The battle raged. Waves of demonic and immortal qi collided, blending and merging, restoring primordial energy to the world.

“Immortal and demon, pure and foul—most crucial is using the other to survive the tribulation,” thought Ji Feichen, his heart conflicted as he ignored the fight and looked to the heavens.

The River of the Dead hung in the south, the thunderous firmament in the north.

Azure thunder clashed with black water, white light with darkness. In the sky, Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong struggled, evenly matched. At noon, as the red sun blazed, the golden spring at the line’s heart surged. Turtle roars echoed from its depths.

“It’s coming!” Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong dove downward. The rippling waters revealed the phantom of the Golden Turtle, golden light blazing before it dissipated, and a spiritual egg shot into the sky.

“Now!” Not far off, a group lay in wait—imperial soldiers.

As the spiritual egg emerged, a red-armored general ordered, “Fire!”

Soldiers pushed forth massive Divine Fire Cannons, each engraved with the image of a strange bird, quite unlike those used the day before.

Channeling their internal energy, they aimed directly at the Nine Yin Demon Formation, caring not whether they struck immortal or demon.

Flames burst forth, crimson clouds sealing the sky.

Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong halted, seeing the fire twist into the form of the Bi Fang bird, wings spread to envelop all below.

“The imperial court?” Their faces darkened. These were no ordinary weapons—these Fire Cannons surpassed yesterday’s by a factor of ten.

Eighteen cannons unleashed their force together, forging a flaming Bi Fang in flight. The heat at its wings was enough to harm even Qin Wu and Zheng Qiong.

“So the court intends to exterminate both immortals and demons—is this the Wind and Fire Cataclysm?” Ji Feichen watched as the inferno locked everyone within, the Bi Fang bird’s flames intent on incinerating all.

“So that’s it. Yesterday’s cannons were clearly obsolete. The Sea of Blood sect set us up!” Zheng Qiong realized. “Yesterday’s cannons were meant to lull us into complacency. Today’s eighteen ‘Bi Fang Cannons’ are the real threat. The Sea of Blood deliberately withheld this intelligence, intending for the Nether Sect to suffer, to remind us who truly leads the demonic path!”

With the imperial court entering as a third force, the Bi Fang’s flames exploded amidst the formation, sparing neither immortal nor demon; any struck were reduced to ash.

Within Golden Tortoise City, Li Jingxun’s face grew cold. The soldiers and officials rescued by the Daoists only yesterday now stood again atop the city walls.

She addressed the leading general, “General, please instruct your men not to use these Bi Fang weapons until we, the Daoists, have withdrawn.”

The general glanced at the battlefield, signaling with flags as he replied, “You immortals warned us of hidden traps in these cannons—yet seeing today’s chaos, do you really still believe that?”

Li Jingxun frowned in silence. Her companions scoffed, “A mere Bi Fang fire is nothing. Would such a thing harm a true immortal?”

But their fellow Daoists below suffered, and when the carnage did not cease, Li Jingxun pressed again.

The general demurred, “I've sent the signal, but the distance is too great—perhaps they haven’t seen it yet? Should we wait a little longer?”

Haven’t seen it?

The three saw through his excuse: the court clearly intended to annihilate both Daoists and demons in one stroke.

Li Jingxun faced him. “Let this be known: if the Bi Fang cannons are your trump card, you should know that even among us, there are those your weapons cannot harm. You attack without distinction—this debt, we will remember.”

The general chuckled dryly, “Don’t blame us, immortal lady. Perhaps General Chen misunderstood the order and struck your people by mistake. I’ll send the signal again.” Yet his actions were slow and perfunctory.

“No need. Cause today, effect tomorrow. Take care, all of you. Brothers, let’s go!” At her word, the three departed Golden Tortoise City.

With their departure, the auspicious clouds faded from the city.

Luo Qingyi, now back at her encampment, saw the Daoists withdraw and her eyes lit up. “With the court attacking both sides, do they think the Daoists so easily bullied? Now that no one guards Golden Tortoise City, we can strike from behind.”

She conspired with the six-armed Demon God Sect, and together they attacked the inner city from the rear.

The six-armed demons were far more vicious than the Nether Sect, delighting in slaughter.

Under Luo Qingyi’s incitement, they rampaged through the city, seizing people and devouring them on the spot. Many revealed their true demonic forms, tearing mortals limb from limb in showers of blood.

Screams and wails echoed through Golden Tortoise City. The general on the city gate was shocked by such swift retribution, hastily sending men to intervene. But without the Bi Fang cannons, with meager troops, they were quickly overwhelmed as the six-armed demons breached the gates.

The page ends.